Diablo Dish: Bounty Hunter Quietly Rides into Walnut Creek

Wine, barbecue, and more in downtown Walnut Creek; fresh-baked pizza delivered in the Tri-Valley; Burgerim makes it a double; Easter brunch options; and more Dish.

By Clay Kallam

Published: 2019.04.16 03:43 PM

Walnut Creek’s Bounty Hunter Is Ready to Wrangle

It’s been a little more than week since Bounty Hunter opened up on Mt. Diablo Boulevard (next to Va de Vi), but word is already out: There’s a new sheriff in town—at least when it comes to wine and barbecue.

The Walnut Creek location marks the second incarnation of Bounty Hunter (the original is in Napa), and though it shares an extensive wine collection with its northern counterpart, the menu is greatly expanded.

“We have a lot more space here,” says vice president of restaurant operations Dan Wetherell. “We added a wood-fired grill, a sauté station, and even a fryer”—all of which means plenty of appetizer options and many meat choices.

To go along with the robust nature of the menu, Bounty Hunter will soon have more than 400 wines available. The emphasis is on reds, but there are plenty of whites, champagnes, and rosés to choose from as well.

“We have a lot harder-to-find wines,” says Wetherell. Given the restaurant’s name—and the wine store located inside—we would anticipate nothing less. Expect a lot of South American wines, plus rarer bottles from Italy, France, and California.

Berkeley’s The Bird Celebrates a Very Berkeley “Holiday”

The exact origin of 4/20 as an opportunity to celebrate cannabis is unclear, but over the years it has become the unofficial day for all things marijuana—including, in this case, the munchies.

The Bird—which, not surprisingly, specializes in chicken—will sell its signature sandwich (normally $8) for $4.20 on April 20, and give away free fried chicken sandwiches to the first 50 people in line at 4:20 p.m.

One thing, though: If you don’t know what the phrase “contact high” means, you might find out Saturday near Telegraph and Channing.

Innovative Zume Pizza Now Delivers to the Tri-Valley

Instead of your pizza slowly cooling while the delivery driver sits at an endless stoplight, Zume Pizza had a better idea: mobile pizza-oven trucks that make your pizza as close as possible to your front door.

After proving this concept in the San Jose area, Zume is now offering its reasonably priced pies to Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton. In addition, the Pies with a Purpose promotion sends part of the profits from The Spaniard—a $17.99 special creation by Shakewell chef Jen Biesty—to the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation.

Comal Makes Passover a Little More Mexican This Weekend

For the seventh straight year, Comal will host Passover dinners in its Abajo dining room, encouraging conversation and conviviality on April 20 and 21. Only 22 spots are available for the 6:30 p.m. seatings, so act fast if Passover with poblano sounds like a good idea.

Easter Can Be Made Easier by Eating Out—But Don’t Dawdle

Sunday is coming faster than you think, so here are a few more options for Easter brunch—after all, there’s only so much candy you can eat.

Sabio on Main: The upscale Pleasanton restaurant will have a three-course prix fixe meal for $48 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. And if the weather permits, there will be outside seating as well.

Agave Uptown: Oakland’s Agave Uptown will open early (at 11 a.m.) and serve a variety of brunch specials until 3 p.m. Bottomless mimosas will also be available.

Eve’s Waterfront: If you want a gorgeous view to go along with an extensive brunch buffet, Eve’s Waterfront in Oakland will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch. The cost will be $50 ($24 for children under 12).

Burgerim Doubles Down in Walnut Creek

The vacant space across from Limon and Lokanta in downtown Walnut Creek will soon be host to Burgerim Gourmet Burgers, as will the recently redeveloped Rossmoor Town Center.

The appetite for the American staple seems inexhaustible, but then again, who doesn’t love a good burger?

Take a Wine Walk in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto

The sixth annual Gourmet Ghetto Wine Walk will run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, with tastings and small bites from 20 or so local Shattuck Avenue–area vendors. The cost is $25 in advance (as opposed to $30 the day of), and proceeds benefit the Berkeley Public Schools Fund.

Juicy Brews Westfest Comes to Oakland

Twenty of the top craft breweries in the country will congregate at Drake’s Dealership on Broadway this Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., as Hop Culture’s annual Juicy Brews Westfest lands in Uptown.

For $60, beer fans will have access to unlimited pours of newly released and limited-edition beers, plus food from Drake’s, Calavera, and local food trucks. A portion of the proceeds will benefit City Slicker Farms, an Oakland food justice organization.